Platform comparison
Artaway vs ArtConnect
ArtConnect is a contemporary-art network where opportunities, exhibitions, and jobs surface in one feed. Artaway is a focused marketplace for direct artist-host exchanges. Each is good at a different thing, and which one fits depends on whether you want a feed or a transaction.
At a glance
Which one fits you?
Choose ArtConnect if
You want a contemporary-art network with a feed combining residencies, exhibitions, open calls, and jobs, plus a profile to be discovered by curators and collaborators. Best for ongoing professional visibility in the contemporary-art scene, especially in Europe.
Choose Artaway if
You only want exchanges and residencies, none of the social-feed overhead. Artaway is single-purpose: find a host, message them, arrange the stay. Multilingual, focused on Latin America and Southern Europe.
Side by side
ArtConnect vs Artaway: what differs
| ArtConnect | Artaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Contemporary-art network with opportunities feed | Direct artist-host marketplace |
| Scale | Large network of contemporary artists | 100+ listings, growing |
| Geographic strength | Berlin and broader European contemporary-art scene | 20 countries; strongest in Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Argentina |
| What you do there | Apply to open calls, scroll the feed, network via profiles | Message hosts and apply directly inside the platform |
| Cost | Free tier; paid plans for posting opportunities | Free for artists; free for hosts (no commission) |
| Account required | Yes (profile-based platform) | Yes (needed to message hosts and submit applications) |
| Vetting | Open registration; profile-based credibility | Host profiles, reviews from past artists, listing approval before publish |
| Languages | English | English, Portuguese, Spanish, French |
| Founded | Early 2010s (Berlin) | Launched 2026 (early stage) |
| Best for | Ongoing visibility in the contemporary-art scene | Single-purpose exchanges, multilingual discovery |
Where ArtConnect wins
Three things ArtConnect does better
Contemporary-art density
ArtConnect is built around Berlin and the broader European contemporary-art scene. If your practice is contemporary and you want to be visible in that specific cultural milieu, the network density there matters and Artaway doesn't compete on that.
Cross-discipline feed
Residencies, exhibitions, jobs, open calls, and grants all surface in one feed. For artists who want a single place to scan multiple opportunity types (not just residencies) the breadth is real. Artaway is intentionally narrower.
Profile-based discoverability
ArtConnect functions partly as a portfolio platform: curators and collaborators browse profiles. That kind of ambient discoverability isn't part of Artaway's model, which is about specific exchanges, not ongoing networking.
Where Artaway wins
How Artaway works differently
Single-purpose UX
No feed, no social timeline, no profile-scrolling. Artaway does one thing (connect artists and hosts for an exchange) and the UX reflects that. If you find the social-platform overhead distracting, the focus matters.
Exchanges as a first-class type
Art-for-stay exchanges (trading creative work for accommodation) aren't part of ArtConnect's model. They surface there occasionally as open calls, but Artaway is built specifically around that exchange semantic.
Multilingual by default
Available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. ArtConnect is English-only. For artists and hosts in Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and Quebec, the multilingual surface is a meaningful difference.
Latin American + Southern European concentration
Artaway's listings cluster in Brazil, Portugal, Spain, and Argentina. ArtConnect's centre of gravity is Berlin and Northern/Western Europe. If your target geography is Latin America or Iberia, Artaway is the closer fit.
Who uses each
Three personas for each platform
Who chooses ArtConnect
- A Berlin-based contemporary artist building a profile, applying to open calls, and tracking exhibitions in one feed.
- An artist wanting jobs, residencies, and exhibitions in one cross-discipline feed.
Who chooses Artaway
- A Brazilian artist proposing a two-week studio trade at a host in rural Portugal: direct message, no feed.
- An eco-artist wanting an unstructured rural exchange in a Spanish-speaking country.
Questions
Common questions
Last updated 2026-05-12. Listing and country counts pulled from the Artaway database on the date above. ArtConnect facts drawn from their public site. We update this page when material differences change. Spotted something wrong? Email hello@artaway.org.